Morphological and molecular variation in Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townseendii) in West Texas

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Ammerman, Loren K.

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Tipps, Teresita

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Angelo State University. Department of Biology.

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Tipps, Teresita Marie

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2012-06-11T21:44:04Z

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2012-06-11T21:44:04Z

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2012-04-10

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2012-05-12

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2012-06-11

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http://hdl.handle.net/2346.1/30009

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Previous studies of Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) from Big
Bend National Park (Brewster Co.) have been limited and inconclusive regarding the
expected subspecific identity of specimens from this region. Furthermore, we observed that
several specimens of from this region displayed morphological characteristics of both the
Mexican big-eared bat (C. mexicanus) and C. townsendii. Thus, the goals of this study were
to use molecular data to determine the specific and subspecific affinity of the specimens
found in this region and to illuminate possible morphological variation within the molecular
lineages recovered in West Texas specimens. Based on molecular analyses there was support
for the presence of a single subspecies, C. t. australis, throughout West Texas. Evaluation of
morphological data from these same specimens showed that no discrete characteristics were
accurate in delineating C. townsendii from C. mexicanus, confirming substantial
morphological variation within C. t. australis specimens from West Texas.

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application/pdf

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en_US

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morphological

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big-eared bat

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subspecific

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molecular analyses

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Morphological and molecular variation in Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townseendii) in West Texas